


Words Left Unspoken

by LilacMist



Series: my heroes s-supports [20]
Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Gen, Memories, Regret, other charas just make cameos, this is technically gen but i'm putting it in the Ship Tag bc we all need some food, when you can't stop thinking about "what ifs"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:42:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21726979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacMist/pseuds/LilacMist
Summary: His memories never leave her, and seeing him again makes her ask herself, "Could I have changed his fate?"
Relationships: Micaiah/Zelgius (Fire Emblem)
Series: my heroes s-supports [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/917091
Kudos: 10





	Words Left Unspoken

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote most of this on a plane hghghhbhbhb no beta i die like zelgius
> 
> ~~~
> 
> In memory of those lost.

"As you can see," Sharena explains to the Order's newest hero, "we've decorated the entrance hall to look like a classroom!"

Micaiah takes in her new surroundings. The bright tapestries and tables full of food make for a homey atmosphere. "It's very nice," she says politely, looking out at the people filling the hall. Sharena had said they were from distant eras and worlds, brought together to protect Askr. Perhaps the strangest encounter was meeting her past self, summoned from before Daein's liberation.

There, near the desk in the front of the hall... could it be? The familiar black armor ignites something within her, but the spark of joy is swiftly snuffed out, and a dark terror washes over her. A familiar scene burns into her vision--an unlit room and two men sharing their sorrows. She knows them both, now. Or rather, she _knew_ them. One was Sephiran of Begnion, Ashera's chosen disciple. He orchestrated the continental war that nearly destroyed Tellius.

And the other...

Someone she never thought she would see again.

General Zelgius of Begnion was his official title, but Micaiah knew him as the valiant Sir Black Knight, charged with protecting Daein. He came to her rescue and preserved her life in her darkest hour, giving her another chance to restore her country. This pillar of strength, this beacon of hope, was someone she had trusted and counted on.

She had no idea how truly broken he had been.

His voice reverberates in her head, pleading for a non-existent cure for the cursed blood in his veins. His Brand defines him, and the redemption he seeks stays out or reach. Micaiah wants to interject--to tell him that his he is so much more than his heritage--but the memory plays on, and the men agree to end each other's loneliness.

Along with everything else.

"Lady Micaiah?"

Sharena's voice pulls Micaiah back to the present. "Are you all right? You sort of zoned out, there."

Micaiah blinks and scans the hall, but the Black Knight has vanished like the phantom he is. "I'm fine. Thank you, Sharena. I think I need to rest for a bit."

But she cannot sleep, not when Zelgius's unrealized hopes echo in her skull.

***

Micaiah avoids him. Every time she catches a glimpse of his billowing cape, she is shot back to the tower. His bloodied corpse rests against the wall so clearly, it might as well be real. An emptiness that she has tried to fill is uncovered, old wounds reopen, and the crushed remains of wishes and dreams scatter like ash. It haunts her--knowing that there was so much left unsaid. She did not realize how broken he was until it was too late. Could she have saved him? Would her assurances of his worth in her eyes have altered his path, or would it have been for naught? Dwelling on what could have been only leads to despair, but Micaiah cannot help but tumble down into it.

She knows the pain of being cast out, of being alone, and every time his memory replays in her mind, she knows him that much more deeply. It might as well be her own memory, now. At the same time, she knows him less and less, realizing that this glimpse of his life is but a speck. Her interactions with him in the war were few, but the warmth she felt from him is undeniable. How could someone with so many secrets and so much buried sorrow bring so much mirth and assurance to her? How much more could she, living a life surrounded by love and support of her allies and friends, have showered him with the acceptance he so deeply desired? She had taken his presence for granted, thinking he would always be there. And just as suddenly as he had appeared in her life, he disappeared.

_"It is sometimes only possible to realize how precious something is until after you've lost it."_

Your life has meaning. You're precious to me. I want you by my side. Could these words left unspoken have prevented his demise? She will never know. All she can do now is put the past behind and step forward.

His memories still pound in her head when she finds him in the castle. His face when he turns to her is still bloodied and bruised.

"Sir Knight...  
I took you for granted, and I...  
I just want you to know how important you are to me. Not as a shield, but as a friend. I hope we can work side-by-side in this strange new world."

Maybe someday, instead of a walking corpse, she will see a new man, loved and accepted by everyone around him.

She hopes that she will not have to lose him again to fully realize how much he means to her.

**Author's Note:**

> I spend way too much time dwelling on wrong choices I've made, especially when it comes to people I've lost. I hope that the black hole of thoughts, while an awful train of thought, is relatable.


End file.
